Clareza Partners

Working population will decline by 1% per year, 10% per decade, over the next several decades. Companies will have to secure talent to run their business under such challenging conditions. This is the reality faced by companies doing business in Japan.

On the other hand, in today's fast-changing business environment, the talent and skills required are also changing rapidly. It will become increasingly important to utilize not only regular employees who have been with the company for a long period of time, but also external talent who has specialized skills and can work on a short-term basis.

Clareza Partners, the leading Japanese interim management firm, provides highly skilled, experienced, and English-speaking talent based on an outsourcing contract. Companies can secure highly skilled talent without increasing fixed costs.

“Companies are revisiting their workforce strategy and starting to use interim talent schemes not just as a means of hiring temporary leadership but more widely to meet their key talent needs,” says Hajime Baba, founder and CEO, Clareza Partners.

Interim talent, or interim management, has traditionally been used as a means of providing experienced leaders who can immediately take over operations in the event of a sudden departure or leave of absence of senior management. In recent years, there are an increasing number of situations in which interim talent are required, such as when companies need an experienced manager to lead specific projects (e.g., IT system implementation, business restructuring, integration, etc.), to address management issues (e.g., management reform, cost reduction, market development, etc.), or more generally in need of managers with specific skills and experience for a temporary period of time.

Interim talent is also known to contribute to workforce diversity. In Japan, although there is a system that allows employees to take long term leave for reasons such as childcare or nursing care, there is a cultural tendency not to accept such leave as it will increase the burden of those around them and cause inconvenience. This tendency is stronger for senior roles, and is one of the reasons why less number of women are promoted to management positions. If anyone can take a leave of absence without hesitance by having interim talent take on the role during the leave, it will not only enhance diversity, but will also lead to increased engagement and retention of employees.

To meet these needs, Clareza Partners offers interim talent solutions with the following features:

1. Exceptional Talent

Interim talent (“Partners”) offered by Clareza Partners must have management experience in a global company or have an excellent track record as a highly specialized professional. In addition, they must be able to work in both Japanese and English languages, demonstrate leadership, and be able to adapt to new environments. Only candidates who understand both Japanese and global cultures as well as business practices, and have the ability to bridge the gap between the two will be qualified to become a Partner.

2. Flexible and Simple

Companies have the flexibility to decide engagement period and utilization of interim talent (e.g. 3 days a week). Fees will be charged based on actual hours of work. There will be no one-time hiring fees, nor any overhead costs such as social security payments, employee benefits, and bonus.

3. Interim to Permanent

When an interim talent demonstrates outstanding performance, the client may want to hire this individual as a permanent employee. Clareza Partners allows companies to hire interim talent as a permanent employee if the individual accepts the offer. No fees are required for this transition.

In 2024, Clareza Partners joined Valtus Alliance, the biggest international network of leading executive interim management companies. By joining this network, Clareza Partners can quickly and efficiently find the right manager for an assignment anywhere in the world.

Clareza Partners has a strong commitment to quality. To this end, the firm has introduced a process to assess and identify the best talent, connect the client with the right talent, and empower the talent with coaching support. The process does not end with a match; Clareza Partners supports talent to ensure they continue to demonstrate exceptional performance.

The firm’s vision is to become the source of clarity and clearness for global organizations to manage their local business. Clareza Partners provides clients access to top talent who can overcome various challenges they may be facing in the Japanese market.

Looking for talent in Japan? Get in touch to share what kind of talent you are looking for.